Vidya Dehejia, Art Historian and Professor
Art Historian and Professor

Vidya Dehejia

· verify

Published 24 books and curated exhibitions on South Asian art at Columbia University.

Vidya Dehejia is a retired academic and the Barbara Stoler Miller Professor Emerita of Indian and South Asian Art at Columbia University. She has published 24 books and numerous academic papers on the art of South Asia, and has curated many exhibitions on the same theme.

✨

A detail that
surprised us

“

Vidya Dehejia’s 1986 book on Yogini temples remains one of the few comprehensive academic texts dedicated to this enigmatic and rarely studied aspect of Indian tantric tradition.

The Story

1
In 1961, Vidya Dehejia earned a first-class degree in ancient Indian culture from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, setting her on a path to explore India's artistic heritage with rigorous academic precision.
2
🌍 By 1968, she completed a PhD at Cambridge on the early Buddhist caves of Western India, a specialized topic that combined archaeology and anthropology, revealing hidden layers of India's spiritual past.
3From 1973, she taught at the Delhi School of Planning and Architecture, where she influenced a new generation of architects by integrating art history into spatial design education.
4📚 In 1986, her book "Yogini Cult and Temples" broke ground as one of the first detailed studies on India’s tantric Yogini temples, illuminating an overlooked religious tradition through art.

🏅 Awards & Honours

—

🔍 One thing most people don't know

“

In 1963, Vidya Dehejia earned a first in archaeology and anthropology at Cambridge’s Newnham College, a rare achievement for an Indian woman at that time pursuing such specialized fields overseas.

🖼️

Through the Years

1 photograph from the archives
Vidya Dehejia receiving the Padma Bhushan Award from President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi (2012)
Vidya Dehejia receiving the Padma Bhushan Award from President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi (2012)
2012

🗓️ A Life in Moments

📚
Education
First in Ancient Indian Culture
Graduated with a first from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, focusing on ancient Indian culture.
1961
📚
Education
Degree in Archaeology and Anthropology
Achieved a first at Newnham College, Cambridge in archaeology and anthropology.
1963
📚
Education
PhD on Buddhist Caves
Completed PhD at Cambridge on early Buddhist caves of Western India.
1968
⚡
Career
Lecturer at Delhi School of Planning
Joined Delhi School of Planning and Architecture as lecturer integrating art history into design.
1973
📖
Publication
Published Yogini Cult and Temples
Released a pioneering book on India’s Yogini temples, exploring tantric traditions.
1986
⚡
Career
Curator at Smithsonian Galleries
Appointed chief curator and deputy director at Freer and Sackler Galleries, Smithsonian Institution.
1994
🏅
Award
Received Freer Medal
Awarded the Freer Medal, first South Asian art scholar to receive it.
2023
More moments to come...
+ Add a moment

🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 04
🔍LESSER KNOWN

Her 1979 book, "Things of Beauty," was specifically written to introduce Indian art to children, marking the International Year of the Child with an educational cultural initiative.

02 / 04
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

Dehejia curated exhibitions at the Smithsonian’s Freer and Sackler Galleries, becoming deputy director in 1994, a leadership role rare for Indian-origin scholars in American museums at the time.

03 / 04
💡SURPRISING

She was awarded the Mario Miranda Visiting Research Professorship at Goa University, linking modern art scholarship with one of India’s most celebrated cartoonists and cultural figures.

No quote recorded for Vidya Dehejia yet.

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons
Vidya Dehejia: There and Then Vs. Here and Now
·YouTube
More from this archive
Vidya Dehejia: There and Then Vs. Here and Now
01
Vidya Dehejia: There and Then Vs. Here and Now
YouTube
St. Xavier's Alumnus Dr. Vidya Dahejia on 'Unfinished Monuments: Indian Stone-Carvers at Work.'
02
St. Xavier's Alumnus Dr. Vidya Dahejia on 'Unfinished Monuments: Indian Stone-Carvers at Work.'
YouTube
Changing India: Culture, Custodianship & Inheritance
03
Changing India: Culture, Custodianship & Inheritance
YouTube

🌱 What changed because of them

Vidya Dehejia reshaped South Asian art history by blending archaeology, anthropology, and art history, influencing academic programs at Columbia University and beyond. Her curatorial work at the Smithsonian introduced detailed, scholarly presentations of Indian art to American museum-goers, shifting perceptions of South Asian cultural heritage. Her books continue to serve as foundational texts for students and scholars exploring Indian temple art and tantric traditions.

💬 Social Buzz

💬

What are people saying about Vidya Dehejia?

Share posts from historians, journalists and notable voices about this icon. 🇮🇳

💭 Memories & Tributes

Share your memory of Vidya Dehejia...
Loading memories...
Is this profile accurate?